Key facts
- Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi survived a US-Israeli airstrike that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
- The strike targeted a leadership compound where senior officials were gathered for meetings.
- Araghchi recounted being trapped in rubble and eventually escaping the destroyed building.
- Iran had contingency plans, codenamed 'Code 110', to close the Strait of Hormuz if the supreme leader was targeted.
- The US reportedly attacked believing Iran's government was weakened domestically and abroad.
- Iran had warned regional neighbors of retaliation if its facilities were attacked.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has detailed his survival of a US-Israeli airstrike that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of a war, describing being pulled from the rubble of a leadership compound.
In an interview with journalist Javad Mogouyi, Araghchi confirmed that Israel and the US possessed accurate intelligence on Khamenei and other officials, enabling the targeted strikes. He noted that Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, had been appointed as the new leader, sending a message of policy continuity.
Araghchi expressed skepticism about earlier negotiations with the US, stating they were necessary to demonstrate Iran's pursuit of diplomacy. He revealed that Iran had offered a deal on its nuclear program, but a subsequent shift in Washington's stance led to the strikes.
The joint US-Israeli attacks occurred shortly after 9 a.m. as senior officials convened at various ministry and council meetings. Araghchi highlighted the intelligence gap that allowed Israel to target these gatherings, emphasizing the need to address it.
While reporting to Khamenei's deputy chief of staff, Ali Asghar Hijazi, Araghchi experienced three explosions. The third blast heavily damaged their building, destroying the section housing Hijazi's office. Araghchi and Hijazi, on the other side of the building, survived the collapse.
Araghchi was taken to the foreign ministry by a passerby after his official car was damaged. For three days, communication was lost as officials tried to ascertain who had survived and who had been martyred. Araghchi stated the enemy failed to paralyze Iran by targeting its leadership.
Iran had contingency plans, codenamed 'Code 110', to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz if the supreme leader was targeted. Araghchi suggested the US attacked due to perceived weaknesses in Iran's foreign-backed proxies and domestic economic protests.
Regional governments had reportedly advised against war, contrasting the potential attack on Iran with a US raid in Venezuela. Araghchi asserted that Iran's deep civilization and beliefs made it difficult to defeat.
Iran had warned neighboring countries that any attack on its facilities would result in retaliation against regional targets. Araghchi also claimed that Turkish intervention thwarted a US-backed plot to incite a Kurdish revolt from Iraq into Iran.
Araghchi indicated Iran was working to exploit divisions between the US and Israel. He also mentioned that Iran had enhanced its missile capabilities, reducing base reactivation time significantly after a 2025 Israeli bombing campaign.